Frequently misunderstood and misidentified, true damascene is a
special find for those who appreciate finely handcrafted jewelry. Its
intricate designs are composed of precious gold and silver embedded
into base metal, such as steel. Today this jewelry comes from two
distinctly different cities - Toledo, Spain and Kyoto, Japan - both of
which originally acquired the technique from the same source.

Damascene-style work is said to have been practiced by the ancient
Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans, but was developed into a high art by
the craftsmen of Damascus, Syria more than 2,000 years ago. During
what is known in Japan as the Nara period (between 710 and 794
A.D.), this technique for decorating metal was carried along the
Silk Road from Damascus to Japan. Around the same time, the Moors
conquered what is now Spain, bringing the damascene style of
decoration with them. This beautiful art form took root in both
countries and evolved independently in each place. Interestingly,
the production of damascene jewelry largely disappeared from the
Mideast and today there is no prominent maker located in that part
of the world.

Fig. 1 - The Silk Road.

In Japan, damascene was frequently used to decorate the hilts of
weapons. It achieved great popularity in Kyoto during the Edo
period (1603 to 1868). During the period which followed, however,
swords were banned in Japan, putting an end to the age of the
shoguns and samurai. Craftsmen who had applied their skills to the
beautification of weapons then turned their skill at damascene work
to various accessories and decorative items, including jewelry. The
design motifs used in damascene jewelry made in Kyoto typically
reflect traditional Japanese subject matter: cherry blossoms and
other flowers such as iris, landscape scenes (often including Mt.
Fuji), butterflies, and birds. By 1936, more than half of the
damascene items made in Japan were being exported, mainly to the
United States and England.

Fig. 2 - Japanese damascene.

Fig. 3 - Spanish damascene with Renaissance motif.

Damascene work became popular in Europe during the fifteenth
century, with Toledo emerging as the center of production during the
Renaissance. The two fairly standard design styles typical to
Spanish damascene, Renaissance and Arabesque, reflect its history
and origins. Commonly seen Renaissance motifs include birds and
flowers with a distinctly European look, quite different from the
Japanese equivalents. The Arabesque motifs, which originated with
the Moors who brought this technique to Europe, feature complex
geometric patterns.

Fig. 4 - Spanish damascene with arabesque motif.

Their Japan, a book published in 1936 in Yokohama describes a
painstaking, lengthy, and arduous process by which damascene items
were made at that time. It stated that artists sat cross-legged
before low benches and created these products by first drawing the
design onto pieces of tissue paper. These tissue paper designs were
placed over the base metal surface and traced into the metal with a
fine chisel. Delicate crosshatching was then engraved within the
outlined patterns to create a slightly rough texture similar to
finely woven cloth. Very fine gold and silver threads were then
hammered gently into the grooves and a tool made of deer antler was
used to smooth the surface and tamp down any rough edges. The base
metal was then oxidized using nitric acid (later neutralized by
washing with baking soda in water). After drying, the piece was
washed twice in dilute salt water and baked over a fire. This
washing and baking was repeated for five days eight or nine times
each day in summer, seven times each day in winter until all the
rust was gone from the steel. After this, the clean surface was
dipped into a thick red-clay mud and baked, repeating this dipping
and baking 50 to 100 times to build a coating of lacquer. The
surface was then coated with powdered charcoal and oil and baked yet
again. These baked-on layers of charcoal and oil were repeated
another 10 or 20 times before the piece was cleaned of black powder
with a piece of cryptomeria wood and the surface was rubbed to a
high polish using a small steel rod. Sometimes additional carving
was done as a final step.

Sometime around the 1960s, the Amita Jewelry Corporation of Kyoto
published an undated brochure advertising the damascene and smoked
silver jewelry made by their company. The fabrication process they
described was very similar to that of the 1930s in that delicate
instruments were used to chisel into a steel foundation a design
etched with fine lines which was then inlaid with precious 24 karat
gold thread, gold foil, and/or sterling silver thread. The surface
of the steel was then corroded with nitric acid and rusted with
ammonia. The rusting process was stopped by boiling the piece in
green tea before several layers of lacquer were baked onto the
entire surface. Polishing with charcoal removed the top layers of
lacquer to reveal the gold and silver design. The piece was then
finished with finely detailed engraving.

The Spanish method of damascening is very similar, yet somewhat
different. The artwork is typically made on small plaques which are
later prong-set into the finished piece of jewelry. According to
this website, they
also first slash or score the surface of a base metal plaque to
permit the gold and silver to adhere to the plaque. The precious
metals are then laid onto this scored surface and pounded into the
grooves using a mate (punch) and maceta (small hammer). The black
background is created by oxidation with a very hot bluing solution
which leaves the precious metals unchanged. Spanish damascene work
is then finished with a delicate chipping process called repasado
which gives a beautiful sheen to the gold work. Both 24 karat
yellow gold and 18 karat green gold, as well as silver, are used in
Spanish damascene.

Fig. 6 - Moorish castle motif in Spanish damascene bracelet.

The easiest way to tell the difference between Japanese and Spanish
damascene work is by looking carefully at the design motifs.
Arabesque and/or Renaissance style designs are nearly always
Spanish, while Asian style designs will be Japanese. Japanese
damascene often has a K24 or 24K designation worked into the
damascene design, done in gold. Spanish damascene may be marked
SPAIN or MADE IN SPAIN on the reverse side. Spanish damascene
jewelry is typically composed of individual plaques prong-set into
gold-plated base metal. Japanese damascene jewelry is not
prong-set, as can be seen in the examples shown.

It can be difficult to date damascene jewelry from either country
because the techniques and motifs have changed so little for
hundreds of years. Subtle changes in the overall style of the
jewelry items, however, can give clues to age. Also, differences
in quality can be discerned by careful inspection, with older pieces
often exhibiting greater precision and finer detail.

Fig. 7 - This Arabesque-style Spanish damascene bracelet can be dated to the 1940s by the tank tread style frequently seen in Retro Modern jewelry of that era.

Fig. 8 - This Renaissance-style Spanish damascene bracelet with fine repasado was purchased in Toledo during the early 1960s and is from the authors personal collection.

Damascene jewelry is quite durable, standing up well to the test of
time. The 1936 book by De Garis recommends rubbing damascene items
monthly with a soft cloth dipped in olive oil to retain the original
polish. Tarnished silver and/or gold inlays can be polished with a
cotton cloth stretched across a fingertip, but chemical metal
polishes and harsh abrasives should be avoided.

Imitation damascene jewelry is made in Spain and may be confusing to
the beginning collector. It is important to learn to recognize the
differences between this imitation and true damascene. Imitation
damascene is typically made from stamped or pressed metal findings
plated in gold-tone and/or silver-tone. These stamped pieces are
then painted or enameled black in the recessed areas to create a
contrasting pattern. Although this jewelry can be very attractive
and fun to wear, it is not handcrafted and it does not contain any
precious metals.

Lovers of beautifully crafted jewelry will want to include both
Spanish and Japanese damascene in their collections. This living
tradition provides a unique opportunity to own, at very modest cost,
a unique artisan-made item which includes precious metals in a style
which has been handed down across the centuries virtually unchanged.
Each time you wear one of these lovely pieces you will be
transported back in time to the splendors of the Alhambra and the
adventures of the ancient Silk Road.